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MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS 

Edited  by   CHARLES  A.  BENNETT 
Professor  of  Manual  Arts,  Bradley  Polytechnic  Institute,  Peoria,  Illinois 

SERIES  A  NUMBER  1 


THE 

CONSTRUCTION    AND    FLYING 

OF  KITES 


CHARLES  M.  MILLER 

Assistant  Supervisor  of  Manual  Training 
Los  Angeles,  California 


THE  MANUAL  ARTS  PRESS 

PE^RIA,   ILLINOIS 


COPYRIGHT 

THE  MANUAL  ARTS  PRESS 
1909 


TL  n 
M 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

The  persistent  demand  for  certain  numbers  of  the  Manual  Train- 
ing Magazine  has  led  to  the  conclusion  that  some  of  the  articles  in  these 
numbers  ought  to  be  reprinted.  Moreover,  it  is  believed  that  from  time 
to  time  in  the  future  the  Magazine  will  publish  articles  which  owing  to 
their  special  value  ought  to  be  reprinted  soon  after  they  appear  in  the 
Magazine. 

To  supply  this  evident  need  the  Manual  Training  Reprints  have 
been  planned  and  will  be  issued  at  irregular  intervals  as  the  demand  may 
warrant. 

The  Reprints  will  be  arranged  in  two  series,  as  follows: 

Series  A.    Illustrated  articles  of  special  practical  value  for  class  use. 
Series  B.     Discussions  having  special  permanent  value,  or  such  as 
supply  needed  data  to  students  preparing  to  become  teachers. 


3 

284607 


INTRODUCTION. 

MANUAL  training  teachers  generally  believe  that  good  school 
instruction  in  the  manual  arts  stimulates  in  the  pupils  the  de- 
sire to  do  construction  work  out  of  school,  but  very  few 
teachers  have  attempted  to  direct  and  develop  such  outside  work.  They 
have  often  encouraged  pupils  to  bring  home  projects  into  the  school, 
but  they  have  seldom  differentiated  between  problems  especially  adapted 
to  school  work  and  those  which  are  preeminently  home  problems.  Yet 
such  a  differentiation  is  practicable  and  it  suggests  a  broadening  of  the 
teacher's  influence  and  the  enrichment  of  the  handwork  of  the  pupils. 

Sometimes  the  manual  training  teacher  has  been  striving  to  stimu- 
late pupils  to  spontaneous  effort  in  school  when  he  would  have  done 
better  to  have  held  the  pupils  down  to  organized,  systematic  work  in 
the  school  and  reserved  the  spontaneous  work  for  home  problems.  But 
even  the  wisest  teacher,  in  order  to  insure  the  greatest  value  in  such 
home  work,  must  give  his  pupils  encouragement  and  suggestions.  Some- 
times he  must  even  supply  the  motive  to  effort. 

It  is  this  point  of  view  with  reference  to  home  work  that  has  led 
Charles  M.  Miller  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  to  develop  kite-making 
and  organize  the  annual  kite  tournament  which  has  been  so  remarkably 
successful  during  the  past  three  years.  Mr.  Miller  does  not  claim  that 
kite-making  is  an  especially  good  form  of  work  for  the  school  shop,  but 
he  does  consider  it  an  excellent  form  of  "home  occupation  work,"  as  he 
likes  to  call  it.  It  has  furnished  him  a  means  of  stimulating  sponta- 
neous effort  in  his  pupils  and  has  opened  the  way  to  a  large  field  of  simi- 
lar work. 

The  completeness  of  the  success  of  the  kite  tournament  is  shown 
by  the  following  statement  made  by  Dr.  E.  C.  Moore,  Superintendent 
of  Public  Schools,  Los  Angeles : 

I  regard  our  kite  day  as  the  best  school  undertaking  that  we  have.  It  is  a 
splendid  institution,  and  nothing  that  we  do  calls  forth  more  inventiveness,  more 
skill,  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  clean  sport.  Mr.  C.  M.  Miller,  who  started  it 
here,  has  invented  something  which  may  be  used  to  advantage  by  every  school 
department  in  the  land.  Kite  Day  is  a  school  festival  which  we  all  look  forward 
to  and  which,  when  it  comes,  is  enjoyed  by  thousands  of  adults  as  well  as  thous- 
ands of  children. 


"t  :"\To  enable  .qther  teachers  and  supervisors  to  profit  by  the  data  Mr. 
if iller  lias  used*  witlv  such  success,  we  present  his  article  published  in 
tjhe|  ljUfitntoat  ^nt*nin&  Magazine,  Volume  X,  Number  3,  as  the  first 
number  of  the  Manual  Training  Reprints.  To  this  article  Mr.  Miller 
has  added  suggestions  to  teachers  concerning  the  kite  tournament,  and 
we  have  appended  his  account  of  the  tournament  of  1909  just  as  it  ap- 
peared in  the  Manual  Training  Magazine.  -THE  EDITOR. 
August  10,  1909. 


A   TOURNAMENT   WINNER.       FIG.    G. 


THE  CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

KITE  flying  dates  back  to  very  ancient  history.     The  Chinese, 
both  children  and  grown  people,  have  been  flying  kites  for  ages. 
In  this  amusement  the  people  of  China  and  Japan  are  unques- 
tionably far  ahead  of  us  in  .many  respects,  but  judging  by  the  progress 
made  in  two  years  by  the  boys  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  it  may  be 
safely  predicted,  that  in  a  short  time  we  may  expect  to  see  some  wonder- 
ful aerial  crafts  of  Yankee  invention  that  will  far  excel  the  Oriental. 

Kite  making  and  kite  flying  has  received  a  great  impetus  the  last 
few  years  as  the  result  of  the  efforts  of  some  of  the  boys  who  have  "older 
grown.'1  Men  of  science  have  found  some  very  practical  uses  for  the 
frail  structures  of  the  air.  These  men  have  not  only  performed  certain 
experiments  by  means  of  kites,  but  have  developed  considerable  aerial 
craftsmanship.  All  these  developments  have  been  of  decided  advantage 
to  the  small  boy,  for  boys  keep  their  eyes  open  and  are  apt  scholars  when 
interesting  possibilities. come  their  way;  so  they  are  no  longer  limited  to 
the  English  bow-kite  with  its  long  suspended  tail ;  they  have  turned  kite- 
surgeon,  and  amputated  this  appendage. 

The  kites  of  to-day  are  more  scientific  and  more  difficult  of  con- 
struction as  well,  but  when  a  boy  sees  they  are  possible  to  construct,  and 
that  other  boys  have  constructed  them,  he  is  tempted  to  try.  "What  an- 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

other  boy  has  done,  I  can  do."  It  is  an  old  saying,  and  one  not  suffi- 
ciently used,  "It  is  good  to  put  temptation  to  work  in  the  boy's  way." 
In  kite  making  the  boy  has  an  incentive  to  do  some  good,  hard,  original 
thinking  in  working  out  plans  already  prepared,  and  as  he  works  on 
these,  new  suggestions,  vague  perhaps  at  first,  pass  before  his  mental 
vision,  which  he  pursues,  sometimes  to  failure,  but  very  often  to  success- 
ful construction  and  operation. 

All  boys  who  have  had  some  experience  in  kite  flying  probably  know 
that 

It  takes  the  wind  to  make  the  kite  go; 

Just  how,  they  don't  quite  know. 

Without  going  too  deeply  into  the  physics  of  the  various  problems  of 
kite  construction,  the  consideration  of  a  few  of  the  simpler  ones  may 
not  be  out  of  place.  If  a  boy  undertakes  to  fly  a  tightly  stretched, 
plain-surface  kite,  he  will  soon  find  he  has  about  as  foxy  a  problem  as  he 
wants  to  tackle.  He  will  soon  discover  that  he  needs  ballast,  but  the 
ballast  needed  is  not  mere  weight.  A  piece  of  lead  suspended  to  a  string 
will  not  answer  the  purpose — will  not  give  poise  to  a  darting  kite.  It 
finds  its  vertical  position  too  quickly.  If  we  had  a  very  steady  breeze, 
we  might  work  out  the  right  attachment  of  bridle,  and  add  just  the  right 
ballast  here  and  there  to  make  a  partial  success,  but  we  must  consider 
cross-currents,  whirls  and  calms,  and  all  such  disturbances  that  a  boy 
encounters  in  all  kite-flying.  The  boys  use  a  tissue  paper  tail  for  ballast. 
The  tail  steadies  the  kite,  not  so  much  by  its  actual  weight,  as  by  the  pull 
due  to  the  resistance  it  offers  in  being  drawn  through  the  air.  It  takes 
much  longer  for  a  tail  of  this  kind  to  drop  to  its  normal  position  and  is 
a  constant  balancer  during  that  time,  being  sufficient  to  carry  the  kite 
through  a  temporary  disturbance,  or  to  the  adjustment  of  a  contrary 
breeze.  It  is  the  same  principle  as  the  one  employed  by  the  rope  walkers 
who  poise  themselves  by  the  use  of  fans.  So  much  for  kites  with  tails. 

The  tailless  kite  must  have  some  recompense  for  the  loss  of  its  tail, 
and  this  is  to  be  found  in  its  construction.  Instead  of  the  tight-covered 
surface,  the  cover  is  put  on  loosely,  Fig.  A.  The  cross  piece  of  the  frame 
is  bowed,  and  this  throws  the  vertical  stick,  called  the  spine,  well  for- 
ward. The  projection  of  the  spine  to  the  front,  forms  a  ridge  on  the 
front  surface,  like  the  keel  of  a  bird,  and  may  be  likened  to  the  keel  of 
a  canoe,  also.  The  first  canoes  were  hollowed  out  of  logs  and  were 
round  on  the  bottom.  Such  a  one  would  soon  leave  the  uninitiated  on 
the  wrong  side — the  under  side — but  later  there  was  a  keel  extending 

8 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

down  deep  into  the  water  which  gave  greater  poise.  Just  so  with  the 
kite.  The  boat  is  not  square  to  the  front  or  to  the  rear,  so  the  tailless, 
the  best  of  all  flyers,  tapers  at  the  top  and  bottom.  The  keel  is  some- 
times projected  straight  out  from  a  flat  surface,  Fig.  B.  Kites  with 
keels  will  ride  a  rather  turbulent  atmosphere,  and  very  soon  recover  their 
equilibrium.  Box  kites  have  vertical  or  oblique  surfaces  that  keep  the  kite 
in  poise  without  the  assistance  of  tail  or  special  keel. 

What  makes  the  kite  rise?  The  same  thing  that  causes  the  wind- 
mill to  turn ;  and  this  is  true  with  a  box  kite,  as  well  a  plain  one.  The 
windmill  fan  turns  at  an  angle  to  the  breeze,  and  the  surface  of  the  kite 


FIG.  A. 


FIG.  B. 


FIG.  C. 


does  the  same.  Fig.  C  will  help  to  demonstrate  this  principle.  The  air 
in  moving  against  the  kite,  has  a  tendency  to  push  the  obstacle  out  of 
the  way,  and  would  carry  it  on  away  with  it  but  for  the  fact  that  there 
is  usually  a  boy  attached  to  the  other  end  of  the  anchor  line.  The  air 
must  then  get  by  some  way,  as  there  is  other  air  pushing  from  behind. 
The  attachment  of  the  bridle  is  such  as  to  throw  the  upper  part  far  for- 
ward and  so  cause  most  of  the  air  to  escape  by  the  under  route,  as  shown 
by  the  congestion  of  arrows,  Fig.  C.  But  the  thickening  of  the  arrows  has 
a  double  meaning:  it  means  compression,  and  compression  means  resis- 
tance ;  but  that  resistance  is  nearly  all  on  the  under  side  of  the  kite  and  is 
just  so  much  more  of  a  lifting  force.  The  force  of  gravity  has  all  the 
while  to  be  overcome,  but  in  addition  to  the  lifting  power,  if  the  kite  is 
not  well  balanced,  the  air  will  pass  too  much  to  one  side  or  the  other, 
and  if  the  bridle  should  not  be  well  adujsted  the  kite  will  dodge  and  dive 
and  cut  up  antics  sufficient  to  try  the  most  patient.  One  boy  tried  to 
make  a  "Foxy  Grandpa"  kite,  but  he  said  the  grandpa  proved  so  foxy 
that  he  would  stand  on  his  head.  It  lacked  poise  somewhere. 

The  secret,  then,  if  it  may  be  called  a  secret,  lies  in  the  proper  shap- 
ing and  balancing  of  the  kite  in  its  construction,  a  proper  tilting  of  the 
kite's  surface  to  the  breeze,  and  the  use  of  keels  or  balancers  sufficient 
to  give  additional  poise  in  times  of  special  disturbances. 


9 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 


T'tATC  I. 


KITE-    CONSTRUCTION  Group l 

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10 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING   OF  KITES. 

The  framework,  which  is  usually  made  of  wood,  should  be  light 
and  tough.  Some  frames  have  been  made  of  aluminum  tubing.  Some- 
times a  light  wood  of  large  dimensions  is  preferred  to  heavier  wood  of 
smaller  size.  Spruce  is  considered  a  very  satisfactory  wood,  but  yellow 
pine,  basswood  and  white  cedar  are  very  good.  In  the  large-sized  kites, 
bamboo  is  excellent,  but  split  bamboo  for  body  construction  lacks  suffi- 
cient stiffness;  it  is  very  serviceable,  however,  in  bending  for  forms,  but 
not  for  bows  in  tailless  kites.  In  California  the  boys  use  a  three-foot 
redwood  shingle,  called  a  "shake."  It  is  of  uniform  thickness  and  is 
split  into  sticks  about  -f^  or  ^2  inch  in  width. 

In  the  plain  kite,  the  sticks  should  be  lashed  together  with  string, 
as  nailing  weakens  the  stick.  In  lashing  two  pieces  together,  they  should 
be  wound  diagonally  in  both  directions,  with  a  few  rounds  between  the 
sticks  and  around  the  other  windings,  to  tighten  the  whole  lashing. 
See  Fig.  D. 

The  covering  is  a  very  important  part  of  the  construction,  not  only 
in  the  material  used  but  in  the  way  it  is  put  on.  Probably  more  kites 
are  covered  with  tissue  paper  than  any  other  material.  If  a  good  grade 
of  tissue  paper  is  used,  it  makes  a  very  satisfactory  covering  for  our 
Southern  California  breezes.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  in  the 
grades  of  tissue  paper.  A  much  stronger  paper  is  the  Japanese  or  Chinese 
rice  paper,  which  usually  has  to  be  pasted  together,  as  it  comes  in  rather 
small  sheets  in  this  part  of  the  country,  although  it  is  possible  to  get 
larger  sheets.  With  large  tailless  kites,  a  network  of  string  is  some- 
times strung  over  the  surface  to  be  covered,  to  give  support  to  the  paper. 
For  box  kites  and  large  surface  plain  kites,  lining  cambric  is  very  serv- 
iceable. It  comes  in  all  colors,  is  inexpensive  and  durable.  Some  pre- 
fer silk,  and  some  don't,  because  it  squeezes  the  pocketbook  too  hard. 
A  flimsy  covering  is  not  as  good  as  one  with  a  little  stiffening.  In  draw- 
ing on  the  cloth  cover,  care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  getting  the  goods  on 
the  kite  too  much  on  the  bias,  as  there  will  be  more  sagging  on  one  side 
than  the  other.  ( For  folding  kites  see  the  bibliography  at  the  end  of  this 
article. ) 

The  string  is  an  essential  part,  for  if  the  string  breaks — !!  For 
small  kites  of  about  three  feet  a  four-ply  cotton  string  is  about  as  good  as 
any.  A  well  twisted  cotton  string  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  a  hemp 
string.  The  seine  twine,  running  from  6  ply  to  72,  is  a  very  serviceable 
kite-line.  For  very  large  kites,  small  rope  and  wire  are  used.  The 
string  should  be  about  twice  as  strong  as  the  kite  usually  pulls  in  order 

11 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

to  meet  emergencies.  Remember  your  string  is  as  only  as  strong  as  its 
weakest  point,  and  a  string  soon  loses  in  strength  if  it  is  allowed  to  get 
wet — more  so,  if  it  is  not  thoroughly  dried  afterward. 

Fig.  7  of  Plate  I,  shows  the  best  way  to  let  in  the  string  at  the  end 
of  the  sticks  of  the  framework.  A  saw  is  used  to  make  the  cuts,  as  the 
knife  is  liable  to  split  the  wood.  Directions  for  stringing  a  tailless 
kite  might  be  of  value  here.  We  will  present  our  framework  with  two 
pieces  lashed  together,  the  bow  in  the  middle,  the  spine  at  one-fifth  the 


Tb 


FIG.   D.  FIG.   E.  FIG.   F. 

distance  from  the  top,  and  with  the  saw-cuts  as  indicatd  above  at  the  end 
of  each  stick.  Start  by  tying  string  around  top  of  spine  at  a,  Fig.  E; 
pass  around  b,  c,  and  d.  Draw  it  fairly  tight  through  a  and  tie  again. 
Now,  b  in  this  illustration  is  a  little  higher  than  d.  This  should  not  be 
so.  We  now  measure  and  make  ab  exactly  equal  to  ad.  As  soon  as  they 
are  equal,  take  string  and  wind  securely  b  and  d.  See  Fig.  F.  Now 
measure  and  secure  be  and  cd,  for  the  spacing  of  ab  and  ad  will  not 
necessarily  bring  be  equal  to  cd,  as  the  spine  may  be  bent. 

Some  kind  of  a  classification  of  kites  seems  necessary  before  taking 
up  the  modes  of  construction.  We  will  first  separate  them  into  two 
general  classes,  each  large  in  itself: 

A.  Plain-surface  kites. 

B.  Box  kites. 

A  can  be  subdivided  as  follows:  (1)  kites  with  tails,  (2)  tailless 
kites,  (3)  figure  kites.  B  may  be  divided  thus:  (1)  square  or  rectan- 
gular, (2)  triangular,  (3)  cylindrical,  (4)  tetrahedral.  It  is  possible 
to  combine  not  only  the  A  and  B  features,  but  each  may  be  used  in  tan- 
dem, as  shown  on  Plate  I,  Fig.  5,  or  they  may  be  compounded,  as  shown 
on  Plate  I,  Fig.  2,  and  Plate  II,  at  the  lower  corner.  Constructions 
belonging  to  kitology,  but  not  exactly  kites  in  themselves,  are  the  mes- 
sengers, parachutes,  signaling  devices,  wireless  aerials,  photographic  ap- 
paratus, and  many  other  appliances. 

12 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 


7a~t  Mess —  Tu/o   or  more   -s/>/»es, 
it /ca.(tons  of  G-rotl 


Keet      \ 


''    Bo* 


13 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 
PLAIN-SURFACE  KITES. 

1.  Kites  with  tails  have  a  representation  in  the  group  on  Plate  III. 
The  English  bow-kite  was  quite  a  familiar  figure  to  our  fathers.  The 
construction  is  simple  and  can  be  easily  understood  from  the  drawing. 
(The  horizontal  stick  may  be  omitted.)  The  tail  is  long  and  is  made 
of  short  pieces  of  paper  folded  or  rolled  up,  and  tied  about  the  middle 
with  the  string  of  the  tail.  A  piece  of  cloth  usually  is  found  on  the  end. 

The  star  kite,  Plate  III,  admits  of  considerable  variety.  The  cover 
may  extend  over  the  entire  figure,  making  a  hexagonal  kite,  or  may 
cover  just  to  the  string  shown  by  the  dotted  line,  and  both  may  be  made, 
with  or  without  the  fringe.  Again,  each  point  of  the  star  may  be  of  i 
contrasting  color,  or  there  may  be  a  star  within  a  star. 

The  star  and  crescent  is  a  production  of  one  of.  the  school  boys.  A 
crescent  frame  is  made  of  split  bamboo;  two  sticks  of  the  star  are  long 
enough  to  cross  the  crescent,  giving  strength  to  the  whole  structure. 

The  five  pointed  star  kite  also  has  three  sticks  of  equal  length.  They 
must  be  securely  lashed  together  at  the  point  of  crossing.  The  hori- 
zontal stick  can  be  bowed  a  little  to  good  advantage.  A  further  devel- 
opment of  this  kite  would  be  the  addition  of  a  light  circular  band  around 
the  outside  for  the  support  of  a  fringe,  which  should  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  structure. 

The  kite  considered  the  most  artistic  by  a  very  competent  set  of 
judges  at  last  year's  tournament  was  a  large  six  pointed  star  kite  with 
fringe,  and  smaller  stars  of  contrasting  colored  papers  on  the  inside. 
The  tail  was  made  up  of  a  graded  series  of  duplicate  kites,  running 
down  to  a  small  one  at  the  tip  end.  See  photograph,  Fig.  G. 

The  Japanese  rectangular  kite  shown  at  the  top  of  Plate  III  is  made 
entirely  of  split  bamboo.  The  vertical  and  two  oblique  sticks  should  be 
heavier  than  the  horizontal.  The  two  tails  are  of  heavy  cord  (twisted 
doth  can  be  used)  with  long  tassels  on  the  ends. 

The  circular  kites  need  little  explanation,  but  the  horizontal  sticks 
should  bow  a  little — the  upper  one  more  than  the  lower.  The  small 
circles  of  the  lower  kite  should  extend  a  little  beyond  the  large  circle  in 
order  to  allow  good  lashing.  If  the  card  board  discs  used  on  the  tails 
are  not  sufficient  balancers,  they  can  be  made  double.  See  Fig.  H. 

Before  leaving  this  group,  we  must  consider  the  bridle.  Let  us 
show  the  attachment  of  a  bridle  to  a  hexagonal  kite.  See  Fig.  I.  Take 
a  string  long  enough  to  reach  from  b  to  c  with  enough  slack  to  reach  out 
about  half  tr  height  01  the  kite  away  from  the  kite.  Attach  another 

14 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 


PL  AT £ 


Kites,  ur/f/i  tatl-s 


r.     f\ 
Kt-i/ect    Jr 

•ma.cfe.    us>~tn  /ica.</if 
Of    <5^//  /"  ^e  m  boo 


"G 

awes    are       ^"~2h-. 


*. 


15 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 


of  equal  length  to  a  and  d.  Bring  the  two  strings  together  at  e  about 
one-fourth  of  the  distance  above  the  center,  and  attach  the  kite-string  at 
this  point.  See  that  a  e  is  the  same  length  as  b  e. 

The  Japanese  unite  a 
great  many  points  in  their 
bridle,  but  all  must  be  at- 
tached to  the  kite  string — 
or  anchor  line — above  the 
center.  The  five-pointed 


FIG.  H. 


FIG.   I. 


star  kite  would  have  a 
little  different  bridle.  The 
bridle  string  from  the  top 
of  the  two  sticks  would  meet  two  strings  from  the  lower  end  of  the 
same  sticks,  and  be  attached  to  the  anchor  line  above  the  center  of  the 
kite. 

Two  anchor  lines  are  sometimes  used  for  the  purpose  of  perform- 
ing kite  tactics  in  the  air.  Two  separate  bridles  are  then  necessary,  and 
instead  of  crossing,  would  extend  from  a  to  c  and  from  b  to  d  in  the 
above  illustration.  The  two  strings  must  be  played  out  equally  until 
the  kite  is  well  up,  then  by  skillful  manipulation  many  beautiful  tricks 
may  be  attempted. 

Don't  cast  aside  a  kite  just  because  it  has  to  have  a  tail.  The  fox 
is  said  to  be  proud  of  his  tail.  Surely  many  kites  are  made  more  beauti- 
ful by  the  trailing  of  a  long  tail,  but  when  two  long  graceful  lines  float 
out  parallel  to  each  other,  you  get  a  very  pleasing  effect,  as  they  sway 
back  and  forth  in  the  varying  breezes. 

2.  Tailless  kites  are  most  popular  with  the  boys  nowadays.  They 
cannot  fasten  the  pieces  together  and  attach  bridles  carelessly  with  hope 
for  success,  but  each  operation  must  be  carefully  measured  and  worked. 
The  tailless  is  a  very  easy  flyer  and  works  well  in  tandem,  or  may  be 
compounded.  The  bridle  is  sometimes  attached  to  the  two  ends  of  the 
spine;  sometimes  the  upper  end  is  attached  where  the  bow  and  spine  are 
lashed  together,  but  should  be  made  long  enough  to  reach  from  the  top 
to  the  end  of  the  bow,  and  from  that  to  the  bottom.  In  Fig.  1,  Plate  I, 
fog  is  the  length  of  the  bridle.  The  anchor  line  is  attached  to  the  point 
that  just  reaches  the  end  of  the  bow. 

Fig.  2,  Plate  I,  is  a  compound  kite  of  two  tailless.  It  has  one  long 
spine  and  two  bows.  The  bridle  will  be  attached  at  the  crossing  of  the 
upper  bow  and  bottom  of  the  spine. 


16 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 


IBox    KITES 


Celled 


17 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

Fig.  3,  Plate  I,  makes  a  beautiful  kite  and  flies  well.  The  curves 
g  c  b  and  h  d  b  are  made  of  split  bamboo  and  are  fastened  before  a  k  g 
and  a  m  h  are  put  on,  but  when  the  latter  are  attached,  the  strings  at  m 
and  k  dravr  them  down  into  the  upper  curves. 

Fig.  4,  Plate  I,  with  one  spine  and  two  bows,  is  one  of  the  strong 
pulling  tailless  kites.  The  tailless  kites  as  a  rule*  are  not  strong  pullers. 
The  lower  bow  of  this  kite  should  not  be  bent  quite  as  much  as  the  up- 
per. The  spacing  is  as  essential  in  this,  as  in  Fig.  1.  The  bridle  may 
be  attached  in  different  ways.  A  loop  from  one  end  of  the  upper  bow 
to  the  lower  end,  with  another  string  from  its  exact  center  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  spine,  is  a  very  satisfactory  attachment. 

In  flying  the  tandem,  as  shown  in  Fig.  5  of  the  same  plate,  the  draw- 
ing says  30  feet  or  more  for  the  extra  line  of  each  kite,  but  an  hundred 
feet  and  upward  is  much  better.  First  put  up  a  kite  on  the  main  line 
some  three  hundred  or  more  feet,  then  put  up  a  No.  2  on  an  extra  line 
about  100  feet  or  more,  and  tie  this  to  the  main  line.  Let  the  line  out 
until  the  second  is  300  feet  or  so  away,  and  attach  the  third,  then  the 
fourth,  and  so  on.  Kites  can  be  put  up  to  a  great  height  in  this  way, 
for  the  second,  third  and  so  on,  lift  the  string  and  allow  No.  1  to  mount 
higher,  which  it  will  do  as  soon  as  it  is  relieved  of  the  load  of  string. 

Plate  II  is  self-explanatory.  The  three  to  the  left  are  small  boys* 
modification,  and  should  have  a  very  loose  covering.  The  middle  one 
on  the  left-hand  gave  some  trouble  one  day,  so  an  extra  keel  was  added 
that  gave  poise  and  made  a  strong  puller  of  it.  The  illustration  is  given 
a  little  to  the  right. 

A  small  boy  came  to  me  one  day  with  a  broken  heart,  and  it  was 
all  because  another  boy  had  broken  the  bow  of  his  kite.  A  few  encour- 
aging words  soon  brought  back  the  smile,  and  a  little  manipulation 
brought  out  as  good  a  sailing  kite  as  there  was  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  result  is  shown  in  the  upper  corner.  The  bow  was  broken  in  the 
middle,  so  an  extra  stick  was  lashed  to  the  back,  as  shown,  leaving  the 
spine  well  raised. 

The  large  compound  kite  has  no  very  great  advantage  over  other 
forms,  but  is  an  interesting  experiment. 

3.  Figure  Kites.  Fig.  3  of  Plate  I  is  a  beginning  of  a  modifica- 
tion of  this  class.  The  construction  of  figure  kites  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  developments  on  the  amusement  side  of  the  whole  problem, 
but  it  is  also  the  most  difficult,  unless  tails  are  used ;  so  whether  tails  are 
shown  in  the  illustrations  or  not,  they  probably  will  be  needed.  Spe- 

18 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

cific  directions  or  comment  cannot  be  given  to  each,  as  it  would  be  as 
unlimited  as  nature  itself;  so  a  glance  at  a  skeleton  here  and  there  will 
be  as  much  as  we  can  accomplish.  Much  of  the  detail  must  be  brought 
out  with  dark  paper  cut  to  shape,  or  by  the  use  of  a  brush.  A  frame- 
work that  comes  nearest  to  the  center  line  may  be  best  in  some  cases, 
while  in  others  the  object  will  be,  to  approach  the  outline.  Sometimes  a 
figure  is  pieced  out  with  a  piece  of  stiff  paper  to  carry  some  small  de- 
tail of  the  outline,  but  much  more  is  done  by  a  skillful  running  of  string 
from  one  part  of  the  framework  to  another. 

The  suggestions  for  the  boy  kite  on  Plate  V  was  found  in  D.  C. 
Beard's  book.  There  are  two  books  by  this  author  that  are  very  worthy 
of  recommendation — "American  Boy's  Handy  Book,"  and  "The  Out- 
door Handy  Book."  Many  interesting  figures  are  worked  out  in  kite 
forms.  The  two  books  named  should  be  in  every  home  where  there  are 
restless  boys. 

The  boy  kite  can  be  modified  to  suit  the  occasion,  but  he  is  not  any 
more  obedient  in  the  flying,  at  times,  than  some  other  boys  are  with  their 
duties  at  home.  The  bridle  should  be  attached  to  the  wrists,  ankles  and 
top  of  the  head.  Each  arm  stick  should  be  securely  lashed  to  both  leg 
sticks  also  to  the  arm  sticks  where  they  cross  each  other.  Reed  is  used 
to  form  the  outline  of  the  head,  hands  and  feet. 

Some  very  pretty  butterfly  kites  have  been  made.  Here  is  a  chance 
for  some  good  observation  in  nature  study.  A  little  different  method  of 
pasting  is  necessary  here,  as  it  is  impossible  to  get  the  irregular  outline 
by  turning  over  the  edges,  so  a  strip  is  pasted  over  the  string  to  the  back 
side  of  the  cover,  see  Fig.  I,  thus  securing  the  string  to  the  cover,  at  the 
same  time  leaving  the  irregular  edge  free.  This  hint  will  'be  useful 
many  times,  so  stow  it  away.  The  body  of  the  butterfly  can  T>c  made  of 
a  stiff  piece  of  paper.  The  antennae  of  light  wire  or  small  reed.  A 
light  yellow  butterfly  with  dark  markings  makes  a  showy  kite.  The  re- 
verse is  also  true. 

The  owl  may  be  made  of  tan  paper  with  dark  brown  markings. 
The  two  horizontal  pieces  should  be  bowed,  and  if  carefully  made,  the 
kite  should  fly  without  a  tail.  The  bridle  jshould  be  attached  to  both 
ends  of  the  spine  and  both  ends  of  the  upper  bow. 

The  bat  will  surely  need  a  tail,  for  he  is  too  broad  for  the  height  to 
balance  without  one.  Apply  the  bridle  at  a  b  c  d. 

Tlv  beetle  is  so  near  like  the  owl  that  it  will  not  require  separate 
attention. 


PLATE  V. 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 


BUTTERFLY 
Dark  brou 

un't/%  light 

spots. 


c       a 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 


I 


PLATE  vi. 


SHIP  KlT£S 


21 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

The  ship  kites  with  white  sails  and  dark  hulls,  Plate  VI,  are  very 
beautiJttl.  The  one  to  the  right  is  about  the  construction  given  in  the 
"Outdoor  Handy  Book,"  by  Beard.  I  believe  it  will  be  possible  to  con- 
struct these  carefully  enough  to  fly  them  without  tails.  The  tails  should 
be  in  the  shape  of  anchors  when  used. 

The  brownies  make  interesting  kites,  but  like  Foxy  Grandpas,  are 
hard  to  fly. 

The  construction  of  the  banner  kite  is  the  same  as  Fig.  4,  Plate  I. 

The  construction  of  the  balloon  kite  is  given  on  Plate  III.  The 
basket  and  cords  take  the  place  of  a  tail.  The  balloon  should  be  dark 
color.  This  has  never  been  tried  to  my  knowledge,  so  he  who  succeeds 
with  it  may  send  word  to  the  writer,  512  S.  Boyle  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

BOX   KITES. 

The  second  general  division  has  more  than  ordinary  interest  these 
days,  as  out  of  this  group  has  been  developed  the  most  important  of  the 
air  ship  inventions.  The  latest  air  ships  are  kites  of  large  dimensions, 
combining  compound  box  and  plain  kites  with  the  addition  of  propelling 
apparatus. 

Reference  to  Plate  IV  should  convince  one  that  there  is  ample 
opportunity  for  variety  in  this  class,  too,  the  square  or  rectangular  being 
perhaps  the  most  familiar.  The  square  kite  is  only  square  in  cross  sec- 
tion. It  consists  of  a  light  framework  of  four  long  sticks,  one  in  each 
corner,  running  lengthwise,  and  four  short  ones  used  as  braces.  Two 
bands  of  paper  or  cloth 
surround  the  kite,  one 
at  each  end,  with  an 
open  space  L:"ween 
them.  It  is  necessary  to 
have  these  open  spa  ? 
as  air  vents.  The  baftu 

and    space    enclosed    is  Cirdof  'Lone  cor»tr 

called  a  cell.  The  braces  FIG.  j.  FIG.  K. 

are  fitted  in  about  half 

the  depth  of  the  cell.  The  brace  should  be  cut  to  fit  the  corner 
piece,  as  shown  in  Fig.  K.  The  winding  is  to  prevent  splitting 
when  the  kite  is  suddenly  wrenched  by  a  whirl  of  wind.  A  good 
size  for  the  long  sticks  is  -f^x^x  34  inches  set  diagonally  in  the  cor- 
ner as  shown  in  Fig.  K.  The  braces  should  be  just  long  enough  between 

' 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 


PLATE  vn. 


23 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

notches  to  necessitate  their  being  sprung  into  place.  Shallow  notches 
should  be  cut  in  the  long  sticks  to  receive  the  braces.  The  covering  we 
will  suppose  to  be  of  cloth,  the  kite  to  be  16  inches  square.  It  will  re- 
quire a  strip  64  inches  long  plus  1  inch  for  seam.  The  two  edges  should 
have  a  ]/2  inch  hem,  and  the  cell  should  be  9  inches  wide ;  so  to  allow  for 
the  two  hems,  the  strip  would  need  to  be  10  inches.  If  paper  is  used, 
it  should  be  turned  back  like  a  hem  and  pasted  down  with  a  string  in- 
side to  give  strength  to  the  edge.  The  cloth  or  paper  should  be  glued 
fast  to  the  outside  edge  of  the  long  sticks.  We  start  with  two  sticks 
first  as  shown  in  Fig.  L,  when  dry  the  two  sticks  can  be  brought  to- 
gether, and  the  other  two  glued  as  shown  in  Fig.  M.  This  gives  an 
even  spacing  that  otherwise  would  be  hard  to  get.  Such  a  kite  can  be 
rolled  into  small  space  and  is  very  serviceable.  It  is  easy  to  see  that 
directions  cannot  be  given  for  all  the  box  kite  class,  but  many  articles 
have  been  writen  on  this  phase  of  the  subject,  and  by  reference  to  the 
bibliography,  no  great  difficulty  should  be  encountered. 


V/////A W///A 

FIG.   L.  FIG.   M. 

The  triangular  box  kite  can  be  compounded  to  quite  an  extent,  but 
the  tetrahedral  has  been  developed  by  Dr.  Bell  until  it  can  be  made  of 
any  size,  which  is  not  true  of  other  box, kites.  Some  of  the  aeroplanes 
have  a  number  of  square  cells  in  a  series,  with  a  number  of  adjustable 
planes  for  guiding  purposes. 

The  making  of  box  kites  requires  more  real  construction,  and  their 
lifting  power  is  greater. 

DRAGON  KITES. 

I  cannot  leave  the  kites  proper  without  mentioning  the  dragon  kites. 
They  are  a  series  of  plain  surface  kites.  The  Chinaman  devised  a  set  of 
harness  to  make  a  lot  of  single  kites  pull  together.  They  are  not  com- 
pounded, and  not  in  tandem,  but  belong  in  a  class  by  themselves.  The 
connecting  string,  traces,  or  whatever  they  may  be  called,  at  the  top  and 
side  and  sometimes  at  the  bottom  should  all  be  the  same  length  between 
kites,  so  that  when  the  head  is  tipped  to  the  proper  angle,  all  the  sec- 
tions of  the  body  will  be  inclined  the  same  amount.  The  Chinese  drag- 
on kite  has  discs  for  the  body  kites,  but  a  very  successful  plan  was  adopted 
last  year  by  using  tailless  kites  throughout.  The  head  can  be  some 

24 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

larger  with  the  lower  part  of  the  covering  (best  of  cloth)  left  loose 
and  longer  than  the  kite,  like  an  apron,  which  blows  back  in  the  breeze 
like  a  beard.  For  this  reason  it  is  cut  in  irregular  shapes.  Very  light 
splinters  of  bamboo  with  tassels  of  tissue  paper  on  the  ends,  extending  a 
few  inches  to  the  outside  of  the  kites,  can  be  used  as  balancers.  These 
should  be  very  carefully  spaced.  A  dragon  kite  with  a  3  ft.  head  and 
2  ft.  body  kites,  will  prove  very  satisfactory.  All  the  way  from  6  to  15 
body  kites  may  be  used  with  about  2]/2  ft.  spacing  between  kites.  The 
tail  piece  may  consist  of  a  rod  about  the  width  of  the  body  kite,  with 
streamers  floating  out  behind.  It  will  require  a  sturdy  boy  or  two  to 
•operate  such  a  monster.  See  the  "American  Boy's  Handy  Book"  for  the 
Chinese  dragon  kite. 

The  centipede  kite  is  about  the  same  in  construction. 

The  drawings  of  reels  should  require  no  special  direction.  A  broom- 
stick makes  a  very  good  rod,  but  it  is  not  large  enough  in  diameter  for 
the  drum,  so  this  must  be  built  up. 

The  signaling  and  experiments  in  photography  have  been  well  set 
forth  in  articles  given  in  the  bibliography.  Two  photographs  here  pre- 
sented, Figs.  N  and  O,  show  what  was  accomplished'  by  a  lad  twelve 
years  old  with  a  kodak  on  a  kite  string. 


FiG.   N.  FIG.   0. 

The  "Yacht  Race  in  the  Clouds,"  by  Nugent  in  St.  Nicholas  for 
October,  1900,  should  inspire  any  boy  to  work  hard  to  win  success,  but 
it  is  no  easy  matter  to  make  a  successful  yacht.  We  used  a  little  differ- 
ent mechanism  last  year  for  our  yachts,  but  there  is  still  room  for  im- 
provement. This  year  we  used  a  beam  for  the  yacht  and  a  wire  nail 
bent  into  the  shape  of  a  hook  for  the  release  of  the  sail.  Some  of  the 
boys  have  attached  light  elastic,  so  that  when  the  sail  is  released  it  will 
.'be  pulled  down  quickly,  thus  expediting  the  return. 

25 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

The  tournament  of  1907  was  recorded  in  the  MANUAL  TRAINING 
MAGAZINE  of  December,  1907.  The  tournament  of  1908  was  a  much 
greater  success.  Fully  five  thousand  people  were  present,  and  the  exhi- 
bition was  worth  going  to  see.  All  the  participants  were  not  registered, 
but  39  schools  were  represented,  and  216  registrations  were  made.  The 
air  seemed  full  of  kites — big  and  little,  strong  and  curious.  It  was  a 
sight  to  be  remembered. 

Much  might  be  said  about  the  streamers,  messengers,  wireless  opera- 
tion, etc.,  but  we  will  close  with  just  a  word  on  the  purpose  and  plan  of 
the  work. 

The  kite  undertaking  is  encouraged  through  the  schools,  but  is  a 
home  occupation.  The  construction  is  not  carried  on  in  the  manual 
training  shop,  but  is  used  as  a  supplement  to  shopwork. 

The  boy  uses  his  knowledge  developed  in  a  manual  training  course 
in  working  out  his  own  problems  by  himself.  Mimeograph  sheets  were 
posted  in  each  school  with  drawings  similar  to  those  presented  here,  for 
use  as  suggestions.  The  boys  got  their  ideas,  and  worked  them  out  dur- 
ing what  would  otherwise  be  idle  hours.  Many  mothers  have  expressed 
their  approval  of  the  undertaking,  and  many  teachers  have  been  able  to 
reach  boys  through  this  sport,  that  they  were  not  able  to  understand  be- 
fore. The  kite  problem  is  seasonal.  The  tournament  is  brought  about  for 
the  purpose  of  recognizing  the  efforts  and  success  of  the  home  occupation. 
There  are  many  similar  projects  having  as  great  variety  as  this  one,  that 
might  be  used  in  a  similar  way. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  KITES  IN  PERIODICAL  LITERATURE. 

1.  Competition  of  Kite  Flying — Sci.  Amer.,  June  13,  1903. 

2.  Craze  About  Kites — Cur.  Lit.,  June,  1901 ;  Tindal. 

3.  Construction  of  Kites — Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  June  27,  1903  ;  Bell. 

4.  Circus  on  a  Kite  String — St.  Nic.,  July,  1902;  N''?ent. 

5.  Experiments  with  Kites — Cent.,  32:78;  Wise. 

6.  Exploration  of  the  Atmosphere  at  Sea — Sci  .,  Jan.  19,  1907;  Roth. 

7.  Excursion  with  Kites — Cur.  Lit.,  May,  1902. 

8.  Experiments  by  A.  G.  Bell — Sci  Amer.,  May  2,  1903. 

9.  Franklin    Kite    Experiments   with    Modern   Apparatus — Pop.    Sci.    Mo.,. 
31:739. 

10.  Frost  King  (Tetrahedral)— Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  June  1,  1907;  Bell. 

11.  Festival  of  the  Lantern  Kites — Overland,  March,  1907;  Lorrimer. 

26 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

12.  Folding  Malay  Kites— Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  Oct.  21,  1905. 

13.  Flexible  Bridles  on  Kites— Sci.  Amer.,  Oct.  6,  1900. 

14.  Hargrave    Box    Kite    and    Tetrahedral    Compared — Sci.    Amer.    Supp., 
June  3,  1908. 

15.  How  to  Make  Kites  and  Flying  Gigs — Worn.  Home  Com.,  April,  1904; 
Adams. 

16.  International  Kite  Ascensions — Sci.  Amer.,  Aug.   10,   1907;   Ferguson. 

17.  International  Kite  Flying  Contest — July  25,  1903. 

18.  Kites;  Their  Theory  and  Practice— Jo.  Soc.  Arts,  46:359;  Baden-Powell. 

19.  Kite  in  Meteorological  Research — J.  Franklin  Inst.,  148:241;  Marvin. 

20.  Kite  in  War  and  Peace— Chaut.,  29:582;  Welsh. 

21.  Kite  Flying  in  1897— Pop.  Sci.,  53:48;  Varney. 

22.  Kites  and  Meteorological  Observations — Nat.  55:150;   Clayton. 

23.  Kite  Flying,  Scientific— McClure,  6:379;  Moffett. 

24.  Kite  as  a  Life  Saver  at  Sea — Engineer  Mag.,  7:213. 

25.  Kite  Balloon,  Captive— Nat.  36:278. 

26.  Kite  Flying  as  a  Fine  Art— World  Today,  Oct.,  1907;  Zah. 

27.  Kite  Flying  in  Life  Saving  Operations — Sci.  Amer.,  Mar.  9,  1907. 

28.  Kites  in  the  Service  of  Meteorology— Nature,  May  10,  1906. 

29.  Kite  Flying  in  the  East — Cur.  Lit.,  April,  1901. 

30.  Kite  Principles  in  Aerial  Navigation — Sci.  Amer.,  June  27,  1903 ;   Ser- 
viss. 

31.  Modern  Kite  and  Government  Experiments — Outing,  30:43;   Hunter. 

32.  Meteorological  Phenomena  on  Mountain   Summits — Sci.  Amer.,  July  3, 
1907. 

33.  Meteorograph   Construction  and  Operation — Sci.  Amer.   Supp.,  Feb.   10, 
1900;  Marvin. 

34.  New  Observation  Kites  Invented  by  S.  F.  Cody —  Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  Apr. 
11,  1903,  and  Sci.  Amer.,  Feb.  20,  1904. 

35.  Observation  War  Kites — Sci.  Amer.,  June   13,   1903. 

36.  Photography  from  Kites — Century,  32:86;  Eddy. 

37.  Picturesque  Chinese  Kites — Sci.  Amer.,  Dec.  5,  1903;  Beasley. 

38.  Scientific  Kite— Spec.,  78:576;  Woglom. 

39.  Scientific  Kite  Flying — Century,  32:66;  Millett. 

40.  Scientific  Kite  Flying — Independent,  Sept.  27,   1900;   Eddy. 

41.  Scientific  Kite  Flying— St.  Nich.,   Oct.,   1907;   Claudy. 

42.  Signaling  with  Kites — Sci.  Amer.,  Oct.  13,  1900. 

43.  Tailless  Kites;   How  Made— Outlook,  58:1026;  Briggs. 
41.  Scientific  Kite  Flying— St.  Nich.,  Oct.,  1907;   Claudy. 

45.  Tetrahedral  Kite  in,  TTrireless  Telegraphy — Sci.  Amer.,  April  21,  1906 

46.  Tetrahedral  Kite-  .,ur.  Lit.,  July,   1904. 

47.  Tetrahedral  Kites  of  A.  G.  Bell— Pop.  Sci.,  Dec.,  1903  ;  Grosvenor. 

48.  Tetrahedral    Princip'e    in    Kite    Construction — Sci.    Amer.    Supp.,    June 
13,   1903;  also  Nat.   Geog.  V.ag.,  June,   1903. 

49.  Traction  by  Kites- -Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  Sept.  29,   1900. 

50.  Use  in  Meteorological  Observations  at  Sea — Sci.  Amer.,  Dec.  31,  1904; 
Rotch. 

27 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

51.  Use  in  Meteorological  Observations — Sci.  Amer.  Supp.,  Dec.  21-28,  1901,. 
April  18,  1903;  Oct.  13,  1900;  Rotch. 

52.  Work  with  Kites  by  U.  S.  Weather  Bureau— Nat.  63:108;   Nat.  Geog. 
Mag.,  11:55. 

53.  War  Kites— McClure,  12:543;  B.  Baden-Powell., 

54.  Yacht  Race  in  the  Clouds— St.  Nic.,  Oct.,  1900;  Nugent. 


WINDMILL    KITE  —  TOURNAMENT   OF    1909. 


THE  KITE  TOURNAMENT.     - 

In  organizing  a  kite  tournament  some  one  person  should  take  the 
responsibility  of  the  undertaking  as  a  whole.  The  supervisor  of  manual 
training  would  naturally  be  the  best  one  to  act  as  director.  In  case  there 
is  no  manual  training  supervisor,  the  superintendent  c.*v  appoint  some 
one  especially  interested  in  boys'  sports.  It  is  not  ne  sssary  to  have  a 
manual  training  system  to  start  kite  construction.  *  'u  boys  get  their 
own  material  and  do  the  work  at  home.  In  special  c  the  sticks  may 
be  ripped  out  in  the  manual  training  room. 

Some  six  weeks  or  so  before^  the  tournament,  tht  irector  should 
send  out  the  announcement.  At  least  on"  copy  of  k  i  instructions 
should  be  sent  to  each  school.  In  "Los  Angeles  four  or  more  copies  were 
sent  to  each  school,  and  they  had  hard  wear.  If  the  occupation  is  en- 
couraged in  selected  schools,  a  co  T  of  the  instructions  could  be  placed 
in  each  room. 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING   OF  KITES. 

The  principal  of  the  school  is  the  proper  person  to  encourage  the 
work  of  that  school,  seconded  by  the  manual  training  teacher,  if  there  is 
one  in  the  building.  It  is  good  policy  to  use  the  principals  and  manual 
training  teachers  as  judges  as  they  will  do  more  than  other  teachers  to 
get  out  a  good  representation. 

The  first  tournament  should  not  be  loaded  down  with  too  many 
feats.  Perhaps  eight  or  ten  would  be  enough  for  a  beginning.  Los 
Angeles  started  with  eight  the  first  year,  sixteen  in  three  groups  the  sec- 
ond year,  and  thirty  in  four  groups  the  third  year. 

Each  school  might  have  a  ' 'try-out"  week  before  the  tournament, 
but  it  should  not  be  too  near  the  tournament  as  the  boys  do  not  want  to 
exhibit  their  kites  then  for  fear  they  may  be  torn  or  that  someone  else 
may  get  their  ideas  and  copy  them.  When  the  boys  get  to  work  in  real 
earnest  for  contest,  they  work  in  barns,  down  cellar — some  place  out  of 
sight.  No  kites  for  the  tournament  may  be  looked  for  in  the  air  the  last 
week. 
t 

SUGGESTIVE   PROGRAM   FOR  THE   FIRST   TOURNAMENT. 

Group  I. — a.  Most  artistic  kite;  b.  best  decorated  kite;  c.  highest 
flyer;  d.  strongest  puller  (to  be  tested  by  spring  scales)  ;  e.  best  boy  kite. 

Group  II. — a.  Bird,  animal,  of  insect  kite;  b.  best  invention;  c. 
quarter  mile  dash  (in  which  a  boy  lets  out  1320  feet  of  string  and  winds 
it  in  again.  Reels  may  be  used  to  wind  in.  String  must  be  measured 
before  the  tournament)  ;  d.  reels;  e.  suspended  banners. 

Choose  a  place  for  the  tournament  that  is  free  from  wires,  that  has 
plenty  of  room,  that  is  open  to  the  breeze  and  is  accessible  to  car  service. 
See  the  street  car  officials  that  the  car  crews  may  give  the  kindest  con- 
sideration to  the  kite  boys.  The  street  car  company  gets  good  returns 
out  of  it,  so  should  be  very  considerate.  A  few  policemen  have  a  quiet- 
ing effect  on  boys  with  inclinations  to  do  mischief,  and  are  also  very 
serviceable  in  keeping  back  the  crowds  from  some  of  the  contestants. 

Bulletin  boards  designating  where  the  various  feats  are  to  take 
place,  are  of  much  service.  These  boards  should  be  placed  high  enough 
to  be  well  above  the  heads  of  the  spectators. 

The  registration  should  be  taken  at  the  various  schools  by  the  prin- 
cipals the  day  preceding  the  tournament  and  should  be  turned  in  to  the 
director  the  same  evening.  It  is  quite  difficult  to  get  a  complete  regis- 
tration on  the  tournament  grounds. 

29 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

It  seems  best  to  so  plan  the  tournament  that  all  the  kites  may  re- 
main up  during  the  afternoon,  as  it  will  probably  be  impossible  to  get 
the  kites  of  one  entry  pulled  down  to  give  way  to  another.  Then,  too, 
there  is  a  much  better  showing  if  all  the  kites  can  remain  up  all  the  time. 

The  boys  should  be  encouraged  to  select  the  plain  kites  at  the  be- 
ginning, the  tendency  being  just  the  opposite.  The  simple  ones  are 
much  better  for  the  study  of  the  main  principles  of  kite  construc- 
tion and  flying.  Until  some  ability  has  been  acquired,  the  kite  flyer  can- 
not properly  diagnose  a  case  of  kite  delirium;  he  does  not  recognize 
simple  defects,  and  may  give  up  a  good  kite  that  is  nearly  a  success.  If 
some  grown  up  boys  who  are  acting  as  principals  or  instructors,  would 
make  an  up-to-date  kite  for  their  own  pleasure  and  the  encouragement  of 
the  boys,  it  would  strengthen  a  bond  of  fellowship  wonderfully. 

The  foregoing  sketch  and  notes  on  kite-making  give  enough  to 
start  the  wrork  of  construction,  but  leave  something  for  the  boys  to  work 
out  for  themselves.  The  article  is  intended  for  suggesion,  but  stops 
short  of  complete  details. 

The  greatest  good  is  derived  from  the  planning  of  the  kites  and  the 
construction  of  the  same,  but  the  social  gathering  of  the  schools  and  the 
learning  to  abide  by  the  judges'  decision  are  valuable  assets  to  the  year's, 
work. 

Simple  little  diplomas,  signed  by  the  superintendent,  chairman  of 
athletic  sports  committee,  and  the  director,  recognizing  superior  exhi- 
bition of  skill  at  the  tournament,  are  much  appreciated  by  the  victors. 
It  is  possible  that  a  silver  cup  might  be  used  to  good  advantage  as  a  trust 
to  the  school  winning  the  greatest  number  of  points,  to  be  kept  until  the 
next  tournament. 

LOS    ANGELES    KITE    TOURNAMENT. 

The  Third  Annual  Kite  Tournament  of  the  Los  Angeles  City 
School  District  was  held  April  3,  1909.  It  was  a  glorious  day  but  the 
wind  was  quite  uncertain,  changing  from  a  northerly  direction  in  the 
morning  to  a  southerly  direction  in  the  afternoon.  The  tournament  be- 
gan at  about  2  o'clock;  some  of  the  boys  brought  their  lunch  and  were 
on  the  grounds  by  eight  in  the  morning.  There  was  not  sufficient  breeze 
at  the  beginning  to  support  the  large  kites  and  it  looked  quite  discour- 
aging, these  kites  only  pulling  about  2  Ibs.,  but  by  three  o'clock  some  of 
the  kites  began  to  break  away  and  our  fears  were  removed. 

30 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

It  was  a  magnificent  sight  when  all  the  various  creations  of  color, 
shape  and  energy  were  exhibited.  The  interest  is  ever  increasing  with 
both  the  children  and  the  parents  and  a  great  assembly  was  present  to 
witness  the  contest.  Larger  kites  and  more  complex  construction  were  at- 
tempted than  heretofore.  A  good  start  was  made  on  trussed  construc- 
tion and  interest  did  not  cease  with  the  tournament.  Many  are  planning 
to  secure  a  prize  next  year.  One  kite  had  a  windmill  inside  its  frame 
which  gave  motor  power  to  work  a  lever  which  caused  a  head  to  wag 
above  the  kite.  One  example  of  the  sort  is  enough  to  start  a  whole 
new  field  of  possibilities.  Electricity  will  probably  be  used  for  a  simi- 
lar purpose  next  year.  Simple  diplomas  stating  the  feat  in  which  the 
contestant  excelled  were  given  to  the  victors.  The  diplomas  were  5l/2 
in.  x  8^2  in.,  printed  with  brown  ink  on  a  light  tan  paper. 


SECOND    PRIZE,    ARTISTIC     KITE — TOURNAMENT    OB 
1909,    LOS    ANGELES,    CALIFORNIA. 

A  number  of  girls  entered  this  year  but  do  not  like  to  compete  with 
the  boys  except  in  artistic  make-up  and  decorative  features,  so  a  num- 
ber of  feats  exclusively  for  girls  will  be  added  next  time.  The  small 
boy  too  is  hard  pressed  and  so  a  place  will  be  given  for  fifth  grade  and 
under. 

The  spirit  of  the  whole  occasion  was  excellent — no  bitter  strife  of 
one  school  with  another — each  child  enthusiastic  about  the  whole  affair, 
and  all  the  thousands  of  children,  while  excited,  were  genteel  and  happy. 

31 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

Many  a  boy  works  on  his  kite  for  a  month  or  more.  At  first,  some 
of  the  members  of  the  family  will  be  very  indifferent,  but  by  the  time 
the  kite  is  finished,  father,  as  well  as  the  rest,  is  making  suggestions,  and 
they  turn  out  in  full  force  to  see  Bobbie  win  the  prize.  Sometimes 
the  simpler  kites  with  inexpensive  materials  are  superior  to  the  opposite. 
In  nearly  every  case  there  is  a  very  willing  submission  to  the  decision  of 
the  judges.  In  a  race,  one  wins  and  the  others  must  lose,  so  the  children 
are  learning  valuable  lessons  for  life  in  their  own  contests. 

The  larger  boys  try  for  the  difficult  feats  of  skill  and  strong  pull- 
ing. Two  kites  seemed  almost  alike,  but  when  the  scales  were  applied  one 
pulled  34  pounds  while  the  other  registered  but  28  pounds.  This  com- 
parison brought  out  further  study  in  which  it  was  found  that  one  had  a 
curve  that  the  lighter  puller  did  not  have. 

Only  two  yachts  were  in  condition  at  the  time  for  the  race,  then 
one  of  the  kites  kept  breaking  away  so  the  one  left  made  its  ascent  of 
400  feet  where  the  sail  was  tripped  and  the  yacht  spun  down  to  its  proud 
owner,  making  the  round  trip  in  about  2^2  minutes. 

Perhaps  the  most  exciting  feat  was  the  quarter  mile  dash.  Out  of 
ten  entries  but  seven  started ;  the  string  was  all  measured  and  handed  to 
the  boys  at  the  time  for  starting.  Each  boy  was  to  start  his  kite,  play  out 
1320  feet  of  string,  and  when  it  was  all  out  he  could  attach  it  to  a 
reel  and  wind  it  in  as  fast  as  possible.  Each  boy  was  entitled  to  one 
helper  and  they  were  timed  by  one  of  the  judges.  Policemen  kept  the 
crowd  back  from  the  lines.  Very  soon  three  kites  were  far  in  the  lead, 
some  getting  mixed  up,  one  failing  to  carry  all  the  string,  etc.  See! 
one  is  at  the  end  of  his  string  and  is  winding  in ;  now  another  is  wind- 
ing in ;  the  third,  soon  after  starting  to  wind  in,  catches  his  kite  way  out 
in  yonder  tree,  and  snap  goes  the  string!  The  other  two  are  working 
to  their  limit,  one  winding  in  a  little  over  a  yard  at  each  turn ;  up  the 
kites  mount  in  the  sky;  now  to  this  side,  now  to  that;  they  are  being 
pulled  unmercifully.  Now  one  is  nearly  overhead!  Noisy?  No;  the 
excitement  is  too  great  to  even  yell.  Here  comes  the  first  one  right 
down  with  a  bang  on  the  heads  of  the  spectators.  It  is  not  allowed  to 
remain  there,  however,  but  is  dragged  right  into  the  reel.  The  second 
follows  hard  after,  and  so  the  race  is  over.  There  was  a  prolonged  yell 
about  this  time,  Nat  Stockwell  of  the  Union  Avenue  School  had  won 
first  place,  and  Elgin  McNarry  of  McKinley  Avenue  second.  The 
crowd  about  the  boys  shut  off  all  breeze  and  to  say  that  the  boys  per- 
spired freely  is  putting  it  very  mildly. 

32 


CONSTRUCTION  AND  FLYING  OF  KITES. 

A  real  glider  was  brought  on  by  one  of  the  boys;  it  was  very  inter- 
esting at  the  time,  and  also  instructive  for  next  year's  construction.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  glide  for  a  short  distance  but  a  gust  of  wind  caught 
the  aeroplane  and  forced  one  corner  to  the  ground,  snapping  off  a  post. 

One  event  looked  very  serious  for  a  time  but  had  no  serious  conse- 
quences. A  lad  had  entered  the  wireless  competition  and  had  laid  good 
plans;  he  had  aluminum  wire  for  a  conductor  from  his  kite  and  had  the 
ground  wire  attached  to  a  water  hydrant.  A  gust  of  wind,  however, 
snapped  his  kite  loose  and  let  the  wire  drop  across  the  trolley  wire. 


AN    OLD    BICYCLE    BROUGHT    INTO    SERVICE 
IN    THE    LOS    ANGELES    TOURNAMENT. 

When  the  kite  broke  loose  he  became  confused  and  got  tangled  in  his 
wire.  The  current  was  sufficient  to  stun  him  and  he  fell.  As  soon  as 
he  was  removed  he  revived  and  was  taken  home  immediately.  The 
boy  claims  he  did  not  have  any  bad  effects  from  the  schock.  This  is  re- 
ported that  others  may  be  cautious  how  they  handle  wrire  kite  lines  near 
trolley  systems.  The  program  of  the  tournament  \\as  as  follows: 

Group  I. — a.  Bird  kite;  b.  Insect  kite;  c.  Artistic  kite;  d.  Best 
decorated  kite;  e.  Animal  kite;  f.  Man  kite;  g.  Suspended  figures;  h. 
Star  kite. 

Group  II. — a.  Strong  puller  (over  3^  feet)  ;  b.  Strong  puller 
(under  3T/2  feet)  ;  c.  Yacht  race;  d.  Quarter  mile  dash;  e.  Parachutes; 
f.  Kite  antics;  g.  High  flyer. 

Group  III. — a.  Balloon  ascension  (endurance)  ;  b.  Balloon  ascen- 
sion (beauty);  c.  Wireless  operations;  d.  Photograph  from  kite;  e. 
Dragon  kites ;  f.  Aeroplane  as  kite ;  g.  Real  glider. 

33 


MANUAL  TRAINING  REPRINTS. 

Group  IV. — a.  Smallest  plain  kite;  b.  Smallest  box  kite;  c.  Quick 
construction  of  kite;  d.  Kites  with  moving  parts;  c.  Best  invention;  f. 
Reels;  g.  Windmill  kites. 

A  few  of  the  winners  are  shown  by  the  photographs,  but  the  colors 
are  missing,  a  very  important  feature  in  the  kite's  appearance. 


34 


Books    on    the    Manual   Arts 


Beginning  Woodwork,    At  Home  and  in  School.    By  CLINTON 

SHELDON  VAN  DEUSEN;   illustrated  by  Edwin  Victor  Lawrence. 

A  full  and  clear  description  in  detail  of  the  fundamental  processes  of  elementary  benchwork 
in  wood.  This  description  is  given  through  directions  for  making  a  few  simple,  useful  articles 
suitable  either  for  school  or  home  problems.  Even  without  a  teacher  a  bright  boy,  by  following 
this  book  faithfully,  may  acquire  considerable  skill.  It  is  a  safe  guide  for  farmers'  boys  as  well  as 
for  city  boys,  and  is  especially  well  suited  for  use  in  rural  and  village  schools  in  which  the  teacher 
has  had  but  little  experience  in  the  use  of  woodworking  tools.  The  book  is  illustrated  by  more 
than  one  hundred  figures,  including  ten  plates  of  working  drawings.  Each  of  these  figures  is  an 
original  drawing  made  expressly  for  this  book.  Price,  $1.00. 

Essentials  of  Woodworking.     By  IRA  s.  GRIFFITH;  illustrated 

with  numerous  pen  drawings  by  Edwin  V.  Lawrence. 

This  is  a  comprehensive  textbook  on  woodworking  tools,  materials  and  processes,  to  supplement, 
but  not  to  take  the  place  of,  the  instruction  given  by  the  teacher.  The  book  contains  three  parts; 
I — Tools  and  elementary  processes,  including  laying-out  tools  and  their  use,  saws,  planes  and 
their  use,  boring  tools,  chisels,  grinding  and  whetting,  form  work,  laying  out  duplicate  parts, 
scraping,  sandpapering,  and  fastening  parts.  II — Simple  joinery,  including  directions  for  making 
the  common  joints,  elementary  cabinet  work  involving  drawer  construction,  paneling,  rabbeting, 
and  door  construction.  Ill — Wood  and  wood-finishing,  including  a  great  amount  of  information 
that  should  be  given  to  a  student  along  with  his  work  in  wood.  The  book  does  not  contain  a  course 
of  models.  It  may  be  used  with  any  course.  Price,  $1.00. 

Problems  in  Woodworking.    By  M.  w.  MURRAY. 

A  convenient  collection  of  good  problems  ready  to  place  in  the  hands  of  the  pupils.  It  consists  of 
forty  plates  bound  in  heavy  paper  covers  with  brass  fasteners.  Each  plate  is  a  working  drawing,  or 
problem  in  bench  work  that  has  been  successfully  worked  out  by  boys  in  one  of  the  grades  from 
seven  to  nine  inclusive.  Many  of  the  problems  can  be  worked  out  in  various  ways  according  to1 
the  individual  ability,  interest  and  taste  of  the  pupil.  Price,  75  cents.  Board  covers,  20  cents  extra. 

Problems  in  Furniture  Making.    By  FRED  D.  CRAWSHAW. 

This  book  consists  of  32  plates  of  working  drawings  suitable  for  use  in  grammar  and  high  schools 
and  24  pages  of  text,  including  chapters  on  design,  construction  and  finishes,  and  notes  on  the 
problems.  Price,  in  heavy  paper  covers,  $1.00.  Board  covers,  20  cents  extra. 

Problems  in  Mechanical  Drawing.      By  CHARLES  A.   BEN- 
NETT.    With  drawings  made  by  Fred  D.  Crawshaw. 

This  book  consists  of  80  plates  and  a  few  explanatory  notes,  and  is  bound  in  heavy  paper  covers 
with  brass  fasteners.  Its  purpose  is  to  furnish  teachers  of  classes  beginning  mechanical  drawing 
with  a  large  number  of  simple,  practical  problems.  These  have  been  selected  with  reference  to  the 
formation  of  good  habits  in  technique,  the  interest  of  the  pupils,  and  the  subjects  usually  included 
in  a  grammar  and  first-year  high  school  course.  The  book  covers  simple  projection— straight 
lines  and  circles,  problems  involving  tangents,  planes  of  projection,  revolution  of  solids,  develop- 
ments, intersections,  isometric  projection,  lettering  and  working  drawings.  Each  problem  given 
is  unsolved  and  therefore  in  proper  form  to  hand  to  the  pupil  for  solution.  Price,  $1.00.  Board 
covers,  20  cents  extra. 

35 


Books    on    the    Manual   Arts 


Woodwork  for  Schools  on  Scientific  Lines.     By  JAMES 

THOMAS   BAILY  and  S.  POLLITT. 

This  ;     the         e  '  .ling  iroblems  designed  to  cor- 

relate r     them        «•  u-  ling.  ,  75  cents. 

Clay   W   .     v.        ,y    CATHERINE    MORRIS   LESTER. 

This  book  covers  the  whole  range  of  clay  work  for  the  elementary  school — technique  of  clay 
modeling,  study  of  plant  forms,  human  figure,  story  illustration,  simple  architectural  ornament,  the 
making  of  tiles  and  ornamental  pottery.  Price,  $1.00. 

Classroom  Practice  in  Design,    By  JA$IES  PARTON  HANEY. 

A  concise,  up-to-date,  richly  illustrated  booklet  on  the  teaching  of  applied  design.  Very  sug- 
gestive. Price,  50  cents. 

The  Wash  Method  of  Handling  Water  Colour.    By  FRANK 
FORREST  FREDERICK. 

Tip    ; 

"This  little  book  is  a  helpful  guide  and  affords  a  stimulus  to  the  use  of  water-color  as  practiced 
by  the  earlier  painters,  whose  beautiful  work  is 'unexcelled."  Price,  50  cents. 


ManMl  training  Magazine. 


~  \  * '  * 

An  illustrated,  bimonthly  publication  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  Manual  Arts  in  Education. 
Subscription  priqj ,>$L50  a  year;  single  copies,  35  cents.  In  foreign  countries,  including  Canada, 
$1.75  a  year;  single  copies,  40  cents. 


The    Manual  Arts    Press 

Peoria,     Illinois 


36 


14  DAY  USE 

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LOAN  DEPT. 

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Ren*»  /?  *£  date  to  which  «new^d  ' 

.enewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall 


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Umversity  of  California 

Berkeley 


